The present invention relates to a system for the supply of liquid to a diver who uses a diving helmet, from a container arranged externally relative to the helmet.
Systems for the supply of liquid on diving are not unknown. Several patent specifications show various solutions, but common to them all is that they are intended for divers who do not use diving helmets, that is to say in connection with sports diving and diving with air bottles. Normal depths in leisure diving (non-decompression diving) are up to about 40 m. The arrangements known from earlier solutions are adapted for xe2x80x9cSCUBAxe2x80x9d (leisure diving and sports diving equipment), and are therefore not designed for professional vocational diving, construction diving or diving xe2x80x9coffshorexe2x80x9d with deep diving equipment. Further, the known solutions only adapted for use together with sports diving equipment with diving masks and ordinary breathing valves (two-step with bite mouthpiece) which the diver can take by the grip of the hand to and from the mouth.
The object of the present invention is to provide a system which makes possible the intake of liquid on diving with a diving helmet, both for the type of helmet which vocational divers employ in connection with construction diving and the type of helmet which is used in the oil industry in connection with deep diving.
The loss of liquid in deep diving where warm water suits are employed has been found to be great, up to 4.5 litres during the course of a six hour dive. Such liquid loss can lead to dehydration which in turn is a health and safety problem. The supply of a sufficient quantity of liquid is therefore extremely important for health, safety and work productivity.
Deep diving for vocational divers is usually conducted at a depth of between 70-180 m., but it is not unusual to dive to depths of as much as 310 m. Equipment which today is used in connection with the intake of liquid is not designed for, or.applicable in connection with such diving.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,893 describes an underwater apparatus for leisure diving comprising a container for liquid, a hose connected to the holder for receiving liquid from the container, and a mouthpiece integrated with the hose.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,533 describes a drinking arrangement for divers which produces moisture in the mouth and lungs. The arrangement comprises a container having a chamber which holds the moisture, and a passage to the container. The diver sucks liquid past a valve, which thereafter must be closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,024 describes diving equipment comprising an air tank, a mouthpiece coupled to the air tank, a water container which is fastened to the air tank and which is connected to the mouthpiece, plus a pump and a battery arranged in the water container. The liquid is pumped to the mouthpiece.
EP 0 713 825 A1 describes a drinking arrangement which comprises a container having a cylinder which is arranged in a mouthpiece. The liquid is pumped to the mouthpiece by an electrical pump.
The system for the supply of liquid according to the present invention is characterised in that there is arranged in the diving helmet a guide-through arrangement comprising a housing portion which defines a space, where a part of the space stretches through a boring in the wall portion of the helmet so that there is established a communication duct between the inner side and outer side of the helmet, an inlet passage being arranged in the housing portion of the helmet, externally relative to the wall portion of the helmet, and an outlet passage internally relative to the wall portion of the helmet.